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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fall — the season
  11. sharp — clever
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com